The Italian Game is one of the most important opening systems of Chess. It can lead to the sharpest games ever or the most subtle positional battles. The Giuoco Piano usually belongs to this second category, with some exceptions !
The Italian game starts when White plays 3. Bc4.
This position is already a crossroad for Black. Black can choose to answer with the quiet Hungarian Defense or the Semi-Italian Game, or, more critically, with the Two Knight’s Defense.
But this article is about what happens when Black plays 3... Bc5. The Giuoco Piano.
In the Two Knights Defense, White usually gets a lot of activity by playing the Knight to g5.
So here, should White try one way or another to move the Knight to g5 ?
Trying to move the Knight to g5 is not great in the Giuoco Piano.
Knight to h6 is often the perfect reply to Ng5, when Black can play it ! Of course, it means that Black has not played the Knight to f6 beforehand.
Once it is clear for everyone that White should not try too hard to target the f7 pawn in this particular line, one may wonder what is White trying to achieve in the Giuoco Piano ?
A strong pawn center ?
A queenside expansion ?
Or an uncompromising Kingside attack ?
What should you try to get ?
You should try to get a strong pawn center c3-d4-e4 of course, this is your main chance for an advantage with White. Not to say that the two other ideas should be completely discarded: you may have to opt for a queenside push or a kingside attack, but less often.
The Main Line Of The Giuoco Piano
Once we have said that, the best way to actually get this pawn center is to play c2-c3, then d2-d4 as fast as possible: this is the main line and here is how it develops.
The Real Main Line
White to play. This is a typical position arising from the Giuoco Piano.
One important thing to note is that even though the position is roughly equal, Black has to play very precise moves to reach this position.
Because Black had to find all the exact moves, White's play is easier in the Giuoco Piano.
White has a strong center, but Black's accurate play has just managed to level the position: black pieces can be developed harmoniously as well.
Let's have a look at the plan for each side.
White should probably continue to play logical development moves to try to make the most out of the space advantage.
First, taking on d5 is necessary, and then, moves like Qb3 (to keep the pressure on f7), castling, and Re1 (to put the Rook on the open e-file), can be played.
On the other hand, Black has more or less managed to reach an equal position: every piece can move without any constraint and Black is back in the center as well.
For Black, the best strategy for the next moves is to focus on the d5-square:
- If White captures on d5 take back with the Knight
- and then support the d5 Knight with the other Knight by moving the c6-Knight to e7 and the c7-pawn to c6
With that blockade, Black keeps a good position in the Giuoco Piano.
One thing that must absolutely be noted about this main line is that it is very forcing. Sure, many times, Black only has one move that keeps the position balanced, but if Black knows it, White is more or less forced into this middlegame where a lot of the initial tension has disappeared. Also, White must be prepared to play with the isolated Queen’s Pawn.
Or is it actually forcing ? Black and White have a few ways to deviate in the main line. We are going to check three correct ways to play something else, one for Black and two for White.
White Plays 6. e5
As mentioned before, the main line of the Giuoco Piano is forcing, up to a certain point ! The first player getting an interesting deviation is White.
On move 5, Black has played exd4. After which we automatically played the recapture 6. cxd4, a strong and logical move. However, White can try another line.
This is an important moment.
White has played e4-e5, attacking your Knight. What is the correct way to react ?
Nf6-e4 also seemed possible at first sight. It deserves a quick look.
Moving the Knight to e4 seemed reasonable and Black could have been tempted to play it, but White has a strong reply. Can you find it ?
This is something to remember:
when White has its Bishop on c4 and is pushing e4-e5 to attack your Knight, the correct reaction is very often the move d7-d5, as White's Bishop is more valuable than Black's Knight here.
Let's see what happens if White accepts the trade.
The previous line means that White cannot let Black capture on c4, and the game can take the following path.
This 6. e5 move is not at all a sideline and this is a line often picked by Grandmaster, so you can adopt it confidently: there is no refutation for Black !
White Tries a sharp gambit with 7. Nc3
The next possibility we will look at is a bit unsound, but very dangerous in practical play !
Black has just played Bc5-d4 on move six, to which White replied with the very solid 7. Bd2.
But White has another idea in store.
This is truly a critical moment here. The Knight on e4 is attacked.
Do you know what is Black's best move in the position ? You can try to find it on the board, but this is a very hard task !
The previous line is the only one that promises Black a small advantage. Other replies are at least equal for White.
To show you that this gambit can be very dangerous, here is what can happen if Black makes a couple of bad decisions !
What is remarkable in this line starting with 8… Nxc3 is that everything seems fine for Black… until it doesn’t ! It is hard to see the danger coming and easy to get greedy.
Let’s make a last note on this 8… Nxc3 by saying that Black could have equalized with a timely d7-d5. Thus this line is not bad in itself for Black ! It is only very dangerous in practical play.
Finally, Black can try another defense, that seems strange, but is also a very good way to neutralize White’s initiative easily.
As a reminder, White has castled and the Knight on e4 is attacked.
This line is a funny and efficient way for Black to answer to the Nc3 gambit. Yet White will still try to build an attack on the Kingside so everything is not done yet !
This is the conclusion of this line 7. Nc3 called the Greco variation, from the name of the Italian player who studied it in the 17th century. Now one more deviation from the standard line, and we will be done with the main line.
Black tries to neutralize everything with 7… Nxe4
Now it is Black’s turn to come up with a different idea in this line ! We have seen that in the main line, after White moves the Bishop to d2, then Black usually exchanges on d2. But Black has another idea here !
White has just played 7. Bd2. Now Black will not play the seemingly forced Bxd2+.
Now Black is a pawn up. Find the best way for White to recapture that pawn !
And finally, if we assume that the queens get exchanged on e7, which often happens, we get to the following position.
In this position that is a queenless middlegame, we will soon reach an endgame after some additional exchanges.
The black King is in the center, which will allow White to harass it a little bit.
On the other hand, Black's Bishop is an asset in such open positions, and additionally, White's isolated pawn could become a target.
Thus Black has slightly better perspectives in the upcoming endgame.
I have shown you White’s best play on the line 7… Nxe4, which means that Black can get a comfortable position whatever White plays. This line alone is a good reason to stop playing the so-called “main line” with White. This is why other systems are more popular for White, in particular the Giuoco Pianissimo.
The Giuoco Pianissimo
The Giuoco Pianissimo is a huge system that cannot be reduced to a few paragraph. That’s why I am studying it on a dedicated page. Go there to discover all the typical moves and ideas of this great positional opening.
The Bird’s Attack Of The Giuoco Piano
The Bird’s attack of the Giuoco Piano is a slightly uncommon opening. Yet the idea makes sense on both strategic and tactical standpoint, at least on paper 
The Bird's attack occurs on the fifth move, when Black has just played the Knight to f6, which is the main line.
Playing b2-b4 is a common idea in particular in the Giuoco Pianissimo.
Typically, White will soon play a2-a4 to expand on the Queenside, winning a few tempi attacking the Bishop.
But the first thing to check is this: White could use the b-pawn to attack the Knight on c6, and then capture the undefended e5-pawn. Do you think it works ?
If it worked, this line would probably be the refutation of 3... Bc5 in the Italian game for Black.
Unfortunately, this is asking too much to the position, and Black gets compensations that are more than one pawn worth.
Here it is not easy to see what White has actually achieved.
The material is equal, the pawn on b5 is more a liability than anything else, and the semi-open a-file favors Black.
The conclusion is therefore that using b2-b4 to create an immediate threat on the e5-pawn simply does not work.
Thus White’s plan is more to gain some space on the Queenside attacking the Bishop. The lines are very similar to the Giuoco Pianissimo as White often has to play d2-d3 to strengthen the pawn center.
Here is one example of a typical follow up.
The previous position looks very much like the Giuoco Pianissimo, the ideas are indeed similar and it is not surprising to find similarities.
This was the line to play if Black prefers closed positions. To finish with the Bird’s line, here is a line that Black can play if he prefers open positions.
The previous position is probably not so easy to play for Black (and for White as well).
White has some backward pawns that are weak.
But on the other hand, Black has this bad Knight on a5.
To sum up, this is a very concrete line, that you can choose with Black if you prefer open lines with concrete threats.
All in all, the Bird’s line of the Giuoco Piano is uncommon but sound. Black can choose how to handle it: quietly or more actively and in both cases, we get to a roughly equal position, with an interesting game to follow.
White Plays d2-d4 Without Preparation
You may think we have explored all the possible lines inside the Giuoco Piano. But what would be a King’s pawn opening without a tricky and probably unsound gambit ? It is time to look at another possibility for White !
After 3... Bc5, White can play a pawn sacrifice on d4 to open lines.
But by the way, this pawn sacrifice is probably slightly better for White if we insert the moves O-O and Nf6, so we are going to focus on this line instead, knowing that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the immediate 4. d4.
Here the pawn on d4 attacks the Bishop on c5, and Black obviously has to capture it. But how ?
If Black has never faced this opening, it is easy to get confused: there are three possible lines, mostly sharp ones, and you have to calculate a lot of moves without making a mistake.
Let's start with the "not so bad but not the best" choice.
Remember (or scroll up a little bit), we have already seen almost the same position in the main line of the Giuoco Piano, except that here, White has played O-O instead of c3.
Would you say that here...
Of course it favors White ! In this attacking position, White almost got a free development move, that can be used to pressure Black.
The Göring gambit and the Scotch gambit are also covered extensively in the overview on the Scotch game.
Now let's see together Black's best reply, Bxd4 !
e5 is attacked, how do you defend it ?
For instance, 7... Nc6 seems OK, but it runs into a tactical issue.
So even within the best line for Black, there are ways for White to set a few other traps. Finally we will look that a move that is bad for Black.
5... Nxd4 is the last possible move, and it is the weakest.
The thing with 5… Nxd4 is that Black is always worse, but gets to choose between many different ways to get worse, and White must be able to punish Black, which is not always trivial. I will just give three examples of lines, but there are many more, and you must be prepared with White to find some good moves on the board. Not always easy !
Here the f7 pawn is attacked.
Maybe castling solves the issue for Black ?
Or maybe Black wants to keep things even more complicated ?
Saying that you need to be tactically fit to survive in such lines is an understatement !
Another example ? Here Black defends f7 with the Knight on e6.
I could go on forever with this line. The point is that 5… Nxd4 is probably the worst move for Black, yet the hardest to play for White. Conclusion ? Make your own opinion and play it at your own risk !
The Evans Gambit
As it is a very rich gambit, and not just a quick try to confuse Black, the Evans Gambit is covered extensively in its own article. Go check it !
The Giuoco Piano: Conclusion
This was just an overview of the Giuoco Piano. You have seen a lot of interesting lines, how to play the main line, and a ton of interesting variants.
But beware ! If you choose to play the Italian Game with White, you have to be prepared as well to the 2 Knights defense when Black plays 3… Nf6 instead of 3. Bc5. If you want to explore different types of games, you may prefer to play the Ruy Lopez whereas the Scotch game is a good option to play for a small advantage in quiet lines.
